Which carriers does GoatLabels rate-shop?

USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL, quoted on every parcel from one account with one all-in number per carrier, plus an international network. Parcels ship from US and Singapore origins. You do not need your own account with any of the four.

Can I rate-shop my own negotiated UPS or FedEx rates?

No. GoatLabels does not support bring-your-own carrier accounts and cannot import your contracts or negotiated rates. If your contract rates are the ones you need to compare, a platform or enterprise system that connects your own accounts is the right tool.

Will rate shopping lower our shipping costs?

It depends on your parcels, and GoatLabels does not promise a savings figure. Rate shopping shows the four carrier prices for each carton so the choice is made on that parcel's facts. Run a week of real shipments on the Free plan and compare the results with what you pay today.

Can I rate-shop a whole batch of orders at once?

Yes. Import a CSV of up to 500 rows per file and each row is quoted across the four carriers. Errors name the row and field, and one bad row does not fail the batch. For continuous volume, the REST API quotes each parcel as the order is released.

Can I talk to someone about our parcel mix first?

Yes. Email contact@goatlabels.io with your monthly parcel volume, typical carton weights and dimensions, and a sample of recent shipments if you have one. We quote those parcels across USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL and show the API and the ledger. There is nothing to sign.

For B2B operations and finance teams.

Shipping rate shopping software for B2B parcels

One parcel. Four all-in quotes.

Shipping rate shopping software prices one parcel with several carriers at once so you can pick the service that fits your rule. GoatLabels quotes USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL on every parcel from one account, one all-in number per carrier, on Free at $0 a month or Pro at $40 flat. It cannot rate-shop your own negotiated carrier contracts.

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Four carriers on every parcel

USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL priced side by side for the same carton, weight, and destination, from one account with no carrier contracts to set up.

side by side

Per parcelNot a lane average.

All-in numberOne figure per carrier.

By APIQuote at order release.

The quote is the debit

The amount you pick is the amount the prepaid wallet is debited, on a dated ledger line that carries your order reference.

Prepaid walletCard, ACH, and more.

Pro $40 flatUnlimited shipments.

Ledger lineWith your reference.

Ways to rate-shop a parcel, compared

What are the ways to compare carrier rates on each parcel?

A team can rate-shop four ways: open each carrier's website in turn, use a subscription shipping platform, run an enterprise multi-carrier system, or use a single account that quotes every carrier at once. GoatLabels is the last kind: four carriers, one all-in number each, no carrier contracts, and no way to load your own negotiated rates. The table shows the trade-offs.

Updated 2026-10-06

Ways to rate-shop a parcel, compared, sources checked 2026-10-06
	GoatLabels	Carrier websites one by one	Subscription shipping platform	Enterprise multi-carrier system
How a parcel gets compared	USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL are quoted together for the same carton, in the app, in a CSV batch, or through the API.	Someone types the same address, weight, and dimensions into each carrier's site and writes the prices down.	Quotes come from the carrier accounts you connect, plus the platform's own rates where it offers them.	A rules engine rates each parcel against your contracted carriers during the release or pack step.
What the quoted number contains	One all-in number per carrier. That quoted amount is what the prepaid wallet is debited for the label.	Each site presents its price and surcharges in its own format, so the comparison is yours to line up.	Varies by platform and by the account behind the quote. Ask how surcharges appear before the label is bought.	Follows your contracts. The rate tables and accessorial rules have to be loaded and kept current.
Carrier accounts needed	None. Labels are bought through your one GoatLabels account. Your own negotiated rates cannot be added.	One account and login per carrier, each with its own billing.	Usually your own accounts, connected one at a time.	Your own contracts, often across many carriers and regions.
Rules and automation	Your rule lives in your code or process: read four quotes by API at release and buy the one it picks.	None. Every comparison is manual.	Typically saved rules or presets inside the platform. Features differ by plan.	Rule-based selection is a core function, configured during the implementation project.
Setup effort	Sign up, fund the wallet, quote a parcel. The API route needs a developer on your side to write the call.	No setup beyond opening the accounts, but the labor repeats on every parcel.	Connect carriers and stores, then map services and presets.	A build item. Microsoft documents that Dynamics 365 small parcel shipping needs a rate engine you develop with a carrier or hub.
Price and commitment	Free $0 a month with 50 shipments, or Pro $40 a month flat with unlimited shipments. No contract.	No software fee. You pay each carrier's own rates on separate bills.	A monthly subscription, often tiered by shipment volume or user count.	Quoted by sales, typically with implementation fees and a term.

Third-party details checked on 2026-10-06 from each vendor's own pages: Microsoft Learn: small parcel shipping in Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management; USPS: Priority Mail weight and size limits; FedEx: rate changes (2027 general rate increase); Parcel Industry: What is new in the 2027 FedEx GRI (2026-09-21). Plans and features change, so confirm on the vendor's current page before you decide.

What is shipping rate shopping software?

Shipping rate shopping software takes one parcel, with its origin, destination, weight, and dimensions, and returns a price from each carrier and service that can carry it. The team, or a rule, then picks one and buys the label. A parcel rate shopping tool replaces the habit of sending everything with the carrier the warehouse has always used.

The comparison matters because carriers price the same carton differently. Zone, billable weight, residential delivery, and package size each move the price by a different amount at each carrier, so the lowest-priced option for a light box across town is often not the lowest for a heavy box across the country. Carrier rate shopping checks every time instead of assuming.

How does a per-parcel comparison across USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL work?

Each parcel is priced on its own facts: ship-from and ship-to postal codes, actual weight, carton dimensions, and whether the address is a business or a residence. GoatLabels sends those facts to USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL and shows the four results together, so the choice is made for that carton and not for a lane average.

Some carriers will drop out of a comparison, and that is useful to see. USPS Priority Mail, for example, accepts a maximum of 70 lb and 108 inches in combined length and girth, so a heavier or longer carton has to go another way. A multi-carton order is compared carton by carton, and each label becomes its own ledger line with the same order reference.

Why does an all-in rate matter more than a base rate?

An all-in rate matters because the base rate is only part of what a parcel costs. Carrier pricing is typically a base charge plus surcharges, for fuel, residential delivery, or large packages, and two carriers with similar base rates can end far apart once those are added. Comparing base rates alone can pick the wrong carrier.

GoatLabels returns one all-in number per carrier, and the number you pick is the amount debited from the prepaid wallet. If a carrier later re-weighs the parcel, the adjustment posts to the same ledger as its own line. Published rates also move: FedEx announced an average 5.9 percent general rate increase effective January 4, 2027, so last year's comparison is not next year's.

What rate shopping rules should a B2B team use?

Start with one rule: the lowest all-in price among the services that meet the customer's delivery window. Decide which service levels count as acceptable for each customer class, such as ground for stock orders and an express service for line-down parts, then let price decide inside that set. That keeps the promise to the customer ahead of the saving.

Add exceptions only where they earn their place: a fixed carrier for a customer who requires one, a service floor for high-value cartons, and a manual review above a price threshold. Automate multi-carrier rate shopping by calling the GoatLabels REST API when the order is released: create the shipment, read the four quotes, and buy the one your rule picks. The rule logic runs in your code, not in a GoatLabels rules screen.

When is GoatLabels the wrong rate shopping software?

It is the wrong choice if you want to rate-shop your own negotiated carrier contracts, because GoatLabels cannot connect your carrier accounts or import your rates. It also does not quote LTL or freight, has no native ERP or WMS connector beyond its 13 store integrations, and offers no SLA, SSO, or dedicated account manager.

Shippers with strong contracts on a few carriers may get more from an enterprise multi-carrier system that rates against those contracts, and should budget for the rate engine work that comes with it. GoatLabels suits B2B teams without contracts worth protecting, or with parcel lanes outside their contracts, who want four carriers compared on every carton without a project.

Looking for the category view first? See B2B shipping software. Want to know what goes into a quote? Read how shipping rates are calculated.

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Public API v1

Rate shopping that runs at order release.

Your order system knows the carton, the weight, and the ship-to the moment an order is released. The REST API doubles as a rate shopping API: a script can quote all four carriers and buy the label your rule selects, with unlimited calls on every plan, live and test keys, Idempotency-Key support, signed replayable webhooks, and rate-limit headers. The dashboard and the API spend the same prepaid wallet.

Four carrier quotes for one shipment request

Your rule picks; one call buys the label

Idempotency-Key so a retry never buys twice

Test keys to prove the rule before go-live

Read the API docs Get an API key$0 per API call

curl https://api.goatlabels.io/api/v1/shipments

201 Created · 187ms

requestresponse

POST /api/v1/shipments
Authorization: Bearer sk_live_…
Idempotency-Key: ord_8421

{
  "to": { "name": "Joyce", "city": "Berlin", "country": "DE" },
  "parcel": { "weight": 2.6, "weight_unit": "lb" },
  "service": "fedex_intl_priority"
}

← 201 Created // buy it with POST /api/v1/shipments/{id}/purchase
{
  "id": "shp_44819",
  "status": "draft",
  "amount": { "subtotal": 72.25, "duty_and_tax": 14.20, "total": 86.45 }
}

Pay for labels, not a tier

Two plans. No contract.

Free is $0 a month with 50 shipments a month. Pro is $40 a month flat with unlimited shipments and cheaper label rates. Bulk CSV, 13 connectors, and the REST API come with both, and labels are paid from a prepaid wallet.

Pro

Free

$0 / forever

Enough to rate-shop a real week of parcels before you decide.

50 shipments a month at $0

USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL rate-shopped on every parcel

REST API with unlimited calls

Bulk CSV import, up to 500 rows per file

13 store connectors included

Start free

The assistant is included

The in-app assistant drafts a label from a pasted order or email for you to confirm. It is part of the product, not an add-on.

Web, every planTelegram, Pro

API on every plan

GET /api/v1/shipments

200 OK · plan: free

Unlimited calls. The same wallet as the dashboard.

Bring last month's shipments

Put real parcels through the side-by-side quotes and compare against what those labels cost you on

ShippoPirate ShipShipStation

No contractNo card for FreeFour carriers

Label prices are quoted live from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL and shown as one number, the same number that leaves your wallet. Other vendors' plans move, so compare against their current pricing page. Full pricing details

Shipping rate shopping software: FAQ

Which carriers does GoatLabels rate-shop?: USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL, quoted on every parcel from one account with one all-in number per carrier, plus an international network. Parcels ship from US and Singapore origins. You do not need your own account with any of the four.
Can I rate-shop my own negotiated UPS or FedEx rates?: No. GoatLabels does not support bring-your-own carrier accounts and cannot import your contracts or negotiated rates. If your contract rates are the ones you need to compare, a platform or enterprise system that connects your own accounts is the right tool.
How much does shipping rate shopping software cost with GoatLabels?: Rate shopping is included on both plans. Free is $0 a month with 50 shipments a month. Pro is $40 a month flat with unlimited shipments and cheaper label rates. Labels are paid from a prepaid wallet, API calls are unlimited, and there is no contract.
Will rate shopping lower our shipping costs?: It depends on your parcels, and GoatLabels does not promise a savings figure. Rate shopping shows the four carrier prices for each carton so the choice is made on that parcel's facts. Run a week of real shipments on the Free plan and compare the results with what you pay today.
Can I rate-shop a whole batch of orders at once?: Yes. Import a CSV of up to 500 rows per file and each row is quoted across the four carriers. Errors name the row and field, and one bad row does not fail the batch. For continuous volume, the REST API quotes each parcel as the order is released.
Can I talk to someone about our parcel mix first?: Yes. Email contact@goatlabels.io with your monthly parcel volume, typical carton weights and dimensions, and a sample of recent shipments if you have one. We quote those parcels across USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL and show the API and the ledger. There is nothing to sign.

B2B shipping operations guides: Multi-carrier shipping software, Shipping cost allocation, Sample shipping software, Shipping software RFP template, ShipStation alternative for B2B.

Test it on one week of parcels.

Four carriers compared on every carton.
One all-in number each.

Quote USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL on each parcel in the app, in a CSV batch, or by API at order release, then decide. Free is $0 a month; Pro is $40 flat with unlimited shipments.

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No contract. No card for the Free plan.